


My Empire of Blood (The Devil's Advocate)

by storyspinner70



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Temporary Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lawyer Jared Padalecki, M/M, Rape, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, The Devil's Advocate - Freeform, Writer Jensen Ackles, based on a movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 12:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20115190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storyspinner70/pseuds/storyspinner70
Summary: Jared Padalecki was the hottest thing to grace a courtroom since Matlock. He won every case he took on with hard work and a clever mind – and maybe a little luck. But what happens when a new job in the Big Apple uncovers things he never could have imagined and advantages he never thought he had?





	My Empire of Blood (The Devil's Advocate)

**Based on: **The Devil's Advocate

**Art Link: ** | [LJ ](https://emmatheslayer.livejournal.com/589259.html)| 

**Warnings/Tags:** Based on a Movie - The Devil's Advocate, Rape, Satanic/Demonic/Religious themes, Canon MCD implied (temporary of course)

**When I Started**** The SPN Cinema challenge for 2018

**How I Lost My Shit**** I lost most of this and another work and just never got back on track to finishing it properly. I tried but it was rushed and I was just never happy with either of them.

**How I Finished My Shit**** This challenge always forces me to finish the things I have lying around because I have a deadline and an artist I can’t let down.

**A/N:** This is based on the movie Devil’s Advocate, but pretty loosely. There are a lot of changes, both slight and major adjustments to the timeline and other big changes, as well. A lot of the differences are because 1: There’s no way I could see Jensen as a Marianne type character, and Jared HAD to be the devil's child for reasons, 2: It’s not the 90s anymore, and 3: I can’t copy _everything_ from the movie – even if I want to. lol I’ve only replaced some of the key players with Supernatural people and kept some of the others the same as the movie.

As always, thanks so much to my editor for saving this mess, and a huge thank you to my amazing artist [EmmatheSlayer](https://emmatheslayer.livejournal.com/589259.html)! It was so good to work with you again and I can't wait to do so in the future! :D Go see her art...go go go...links above and at the very top! Shoo. But, you know, come back and read. :D

**My Empire of Blood**

(The Devil’s Advocate)

“You don’t understand, Jensen. He did it. He did it and I eviscerated that poor girl on the stand.”

“Jared, you knew when you became a defense lawyer it might come to this. We talked about it. Remember?”

“Everyone was happy, Jensen. Drinking and celebrating like I did something good!” Jared dropped his head down between his hunched shoulders. “I have to go back there tomorrow, Jensen, and finish her off. _And he did it_!”

“Shh. Come on, Jared. Come with me. It’ll be okay. I promise.”

“It won’t.” Jared sprang up and started to pace. “Her Daddy was yelling at me. He was going to kick my ass, and you know what?” He didn’t even pause long enough for Jensen to respond. “I don’t blame him. I tore that poor girl up on that stand in front of everyone. And Gettys. That bastard was glad I’d made her cry.”

Jared swept everything off the mantle. “That _child molester_ was happy with me.”

“Jared...” Jensen was interrupted by the doorbell. “Who could that be?”

“If it’s the guys just get rid of them.”

“Mr. Ackles? I’d like to speak with your husband for a moment if that’s alright. I’m from the Morgan Chadwick Waters law firm in New York. I have an offer I think he might be interested in.”

“One moment,” Jensen murmured. “I’ll see if he’s available.” Jensen returned to the living room, a thick business card in his hand. “You want to see him, baby?”

Jared took the card and flicked it on the table without really looking at it. “Not right now. Tell him if it’s important, he can meet me at the courthouse before the trial. 8:30 am.”

Jensen ran his hands through Jared’s hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “You’ve got it baby.” Jensen relayed the message and they watched mindless television for the rest of the night. Well, Jensen did. Jared stared in the general direction of the flat screen, but it was clear his mind was still in that courtroom.

**

“Mr Padalecki?”

Jared closed his eyes. So he showed up after all. “Yes?”

“I stopped by your house last night and your husband relayed the message to meet you here this morning.”

“What can I do for you?”

The man extended his business card. “Right to the point, I see. Well, then… We’d like you to pick a jury for us.”

“Excuse me?”

“Guaranteed lump sum payment regardless of outcome.”

Jared grabbed the man’s card. “Why would you come here from New York to get me to pick a jury for you?”

“We’ve been watching you. You’ve got quite the record. No losses all wins.”

“Still. Florida is a long way from New York.”

“Flip the card over. Perhaps that will make things clearer.”

“What is this?”

“Your payment.”

“That’s a lot of zeros.”

“Indeed.”

“Can I reach you at this number?”

“You can.”

“I’ll let you know.”

“Good luck with the case. Not that you need it.”

No, luck wasn’t what he needed at all.

**

“So,” Jared asked later at home, snuggling into Jensen on the couch, “what do you think?”

“I think that’s a lot of zeros.”

“Right?”

“Do you think I should do it?”

“Do you want to do it?”

“I mean, it’s quite the honor, don’t you think?”

“It is,” Jensen answered noncommittally.

“You’re doing that thing.”

“What thing?”

“That thing where you won’t make decisions for me when I want you to.”

“I make plenty of your decisions for you. Like when I threw that horrendous flowered shirt away you loved so much.”

“I wondered what happened to that shirt! You said you hadn’t seen it!”

“And I didn’t see it. After I put it in the trash bag and hauled it to the dump.”

“I loved that shirt.”

“I know you did.”

“So, should I go?”

“Do you want to go?”

“I hate you.”

“Sure you do.”

_One Week Later, New York_

“Do you think that as a juror, you would be able to set aside any opinion you may have about the Savings and Loan industry?”

“You mean do I like bankers?” the potential juror asked.

Jared motioned discreetly. A quick throat clear and the lawyer nodded.

“Excuse me, Your Honor, if I could have just a few minutes to confer with my colleagues.”

The judge waved him on.

“Dump him.” Jared said, voice low to avoid being heard by anyone but the team he was on. “He’s no good. While you’re at it, get rid of 4, 6, and I’d say 12, but the prosecutor is going to fuck up and do that for us.”

“Six? Really? She’s my first choice.”

“And she’s my first pass.”

“And what’s wrong with four? He’s the perfect defendant’s jurist.”

“Did you see his shoes?”

“Look, kid. You might be big fish down in the swamps of Florida, but this is Manhattan.”

Jared ignored him and continued, “He clearly makes his own clothes. He polishes those shoes every night. He may look like a brother with attitude to you, but what I see is a man with a bad time and a shotgun under his bed. And he’s not afraid to use it.”

The other lawyer just shook his head.

“And your favorite,” Jared said, “she’s damaged.”

“She’s a catholic schoolteacher,” the lawyer sneered. “She’s the perfect one to believe in human frailty.”

“No,” Jared said. “There’s something missing there. She wants on this jury for a reason, and it’s not justice. She’s looking for revenge.”

“How the hell would you know that?”

Jared snorted a laugh. “I don’t know. I just do.”

The lawyer turned to Heath, the man that came to get Jared in the first place. “You either put an end to this nonsense, or I walk.”

Heath didn’t even hesitate. “Walk.”

The other man huffed, but quickly recovered. “Fine. When I lose with this jury of yours, you do all the explaining.”

**

“He hated me, Jack. You should have seen him. He was so pissed.”

“And?”

“They went with my suggestions.”

“Of course they did,” Jack laughed.

“So,” Jared cooed into the phone. “What are you wearing?”

“Jeans and a button down, numbnuts, it’s the middle of the day.”

“Aww, Jack, don’t be like that.”

**

“So this is where the magic happens,” Heath indicated, sweeping his arm around the front office. “Well, not really. We have magic happening all over the world. But, this...” He walked over to the floor to ceiling wall of glass, “...is pretty damn impressive.”

Jared laughed, in awe at the suspension bridges, crystal waters and soaring high rises. “That it is.”

“Let’s meet some people. Learn some things. See how everything works. You know,” he paused, “just in case.”

Jared arched his brows, but didn’t comment, just followed along as Heath showed him around.

**

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? You sound like crap.”

“Gee, thanks so much Jensen.”

“Jared,” Jensen chided. “What’s going on?”

“The jury came back today.”

“Oh, sweetheart.”

“They deliberated just 38 minutes,” Jared continued.

Jensen made what Jared assumed was supposed to be a soothing sound and carefully said, “Well, from what you told me, he was clearly guilty. I mean, what did they expect? No jury in the country would let him off.”

Jared made a hurt sound in the back of his throat. “Except one,” he nearly whispered.

There was a pause until Jensen realized what Jared had just said. “Jared Tristan Padalecki! You are a lying liar who lies.”

Jared cackled. “You should have known better, Jensen. I mean, come on. It’s me! Of course they couldn’t lose.”

Jensen muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “God save us all from your ego.” And then the line went dead.

“Jack? Jensen? Jen?”

_Florida_

Jared smashed his face into the pillow beside Jensen, his shoulder overlapping his husband’s, Jensen’s left arm caught underneath Jared’s bulk.

“So, what do you think, Jack?”

Jensen calmly turned the page on the book in his lap. “About what?”

Jared raised his head enough to glare at Jensen. “About the job!”

“Oh, that.”

“Yes, that.”

“I think that I like Florida. I also like New York.”

Jared grunted unhappily. “But what about your job?”

“My publisher is in California, remember? There would be little difference whether I flew from Florida or New York, you know. Plus,” Jensen said, turning another page, “I can pretty much write anywhere.”

“Jensen,” Jared whined.

“I’m not part of this equation, Jared. This is all you. I’m good either way.”

“I’m good either way,” Jared mocked in a screeching falsetto, elbowing Jensen’s book. “Who reads actual books anyway? No one, that’s who. Get a Kindle, for god’s sake. Paper books are stupid. Just like you’re...” Jared cut off when Jensen turned to look at him, one eyebrow arched. “Fine,” He mumbled. “But don’t blame me if I make the wrong decision and destroy both our lives.”

Jensen just turned another page.

**

“Hey, mom.”

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten how to get to church. Missed the service though. Might want to come a little earlier next time.”

Jared snorted and hugged his mother.

“How’s...” his mother paused a bit too long, her mouth turned down a bit in distaste, “Jensen?”

“You mean my husband? The one I love and have been married to for years? That Jensen?”

His mom was silent. Jared sighed.

“He’s fine, thanks for asking,” Jared said.

“I’m sorry, Jared you know it’s hard for me.”

“Just try harder, okay? Jensen isn’t going anywhere.”

“New York, huh?”

“Yep, Big Apple here I come!”

“Just be careful. That place is...”

“I’ll be fine, mom, this is an amazing opportunity.’

“Don’t let it corrupt you, you hear me?”

“Mom...”

“’Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. It has become the dwelling place of demons.’” Sam grabbed his face. “Be careful,” she repeated seriously.

Jared kissed her on the forehead and promised.

_New York, Law Offices_

Jared met Adrianne Palicki for the first time on a Monday.

He and Jensen had been in New York for a week and had their company provided apartment just about where they liked it. He might not be able to pry Jensen out of the bed with a crowbar before mid-morning, but once he did, Jensen was unstoppable.

They’d shopped, arranged for deliveries and were pretty happy with the outcome. Besides, there was plenty of time to make things perfect as they went along.

Jared had shown up to work and had immediately noticed the tall blonde in the office beside his. He was fascinated. She was pacing her office, speaking rapidly into her mic in a language Jared couldn’t identify. She noticed him watching and arched a brow. Jared smiled sheepishly. She shut the door and closed her blinds.

It was Wednesday before he met Jeffrey Dean Morgan. An assistant knocked on Jared’s door with a summons and led him right to Morgan’s office door. The doors opened as he approached and the assistant gestured him inside with a sweep of her arm.

The offices and public spaces of the law firm were warm, but very modern – clean, neutral lines that were comfortable but drew no attention. Technology was discreet and streamlined. Even the headsets they used for client contact blended nearly seamlessly into their hair and skin.

Morgan’s office was both exactly what he expected and nothing like what he thought. The floors were smooth, the color of sand, and the walls were concrete. The space was vast and the furniture spare. What furniture was there was spindly legged and dark and there was a fireplace carved into one side of the wall. Mr. Morgan’s desk was large, but equally as spare, everything black and sleek and seeming to float on a slick, rough edged surface that seemed made more of shadow than marble.

Artwork was tribal and dark and Jared felt at once too cold and right at home in the cavernous space. He didn’t like it. He whirled around when a voice sounded close behind him.

“Behind you!”

Jeffrey Dean Morgan stood behind him and laughed. “Sorry, I just...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jared said, his heart pounding.

“Enjoying New York? Are we being good to you? How’s your wife?”

“Husband,” Jared corrected. “It’s an amazing city, and everyone here has been so kind. To both of us.”

“That’s how we get you,” Morgan smiled. “We kill you with kindness.”

He settled behind his desk. “So you started out a prosecutor?”

“Out of law school,” Jared agreed. “Anything to get me in a courtroom. I love it.”

Morgan studied him for a moment and hummed. He stood abruptly. “Walk with me.” He strode to the other side of the room and waved his hand in front of an ornately decorated double door.

When Jared stepped out, he took in the twin infinity pools stretching on either side of the concrete walkway.

“What do you think?” Morgan asked.

“It’s peaceful.”

Morgan’s eyebrows jumped. “To me, too. Not everyone thinks so.”

Jared could see why. No railings, no walls. Just glittering water and the endless expanse of sky. He walked to the edge. “Whoa.”

“It’s different when you’re looking down, isn’t it?”

“It sure is.”

“64 convictions and no losses, I hear. That’s impressive. What’s your secret?”

There was something in Morgan’s eyes that set Jared on edge, but he couldn’t quite place what it was. “No secret,” he said glibly. “Just sympathetic juries, that’s all.”

“Hmm. I could have sworn you’d have _some_ secret.”

Jared just smiled.

“Tell me about your family. Do your mother and father live in Florida, too?”

“My mother does. I never knew my father, unfortunately. He died before I was born.”

“She never remarried?”

“She never married in the first place.”

“I bet that was rough for her.”

“I imagine it would be hard on anyone alone.”

“But particularly in a town like Gainesville,” Morgan pushed slightly.

“I think her being a preacher’s daughter made it harder than anything, honestly. She’s had the same job for as long as I remember, but she’s found a good church. She’s usually either there or going out with them. They do a lot of volunteer work.”

“Behold, I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves.”

“Something like that.” Jared commented, idly watching the traffic far far below.

“There’s a lot of clients out there,” Morgan said as he swept his arm around the view.

“Speaking of clients, why do you need a criminal department?”

“Our clients break the law like anyone else. I’m tired of sending their business elsewhere.”

“Are you going to offer me the job?”

Morgan huffed, “I’m thinking about it. I know you have talent. There’s no doubt about that. But this isn’t Gainesville. This is New York. There’s a lot more pressure,” he turned to study Jared, “and there is much more at stake here.” He walked to the edge, swaying a bit like he’d momentarily lost his balance.

“You squeeze some people and they focus harder. You squeeze others, and they fold like origami. Which are you? Can you do the job, no matter what the deadline?” Morgan swayed forward a bit. “And can you sleep at night when it’s done?”

“When do we talk about money?”

Morgan laughed. “That’s the easy part.”

**

“I’m Samantha Ferris. Used to be in the Brooklyn DA’s office. I’ll be your guide for everything local. I’m pushing through your NY Bar Application, but for now we’ll just have you work pro hoc vice. Speaking of work, Mr. Morgan asked me to prepare an overview of the Moyez case.”

“Nice to meet you.” Jared hesitantly reached out for the file. “The Moyez case?” Five minutes later, they were watching shaky bodycam footage of the NYPD storming down stairs and arresting a man in the middle of sacrificing goats.

“It’s a health code violation,” Jared scoffed. “It’s an open and shut. What’s the point?” He paused. “It’s a test.”

“Isn’t everything?”

“Where can I find Moyez?”

*

Jared had been to New York. He knew what to expect. He thought. The reality of riding in the back of a limo through the squalor of poor New York was something very different than he expected. Buildings were crumbling, covered in graffiti and trash.

Jared hadn’t expected it to be so bad. He also never expected to find voodoo in the middle of the city. He’d thought that was for dark places deep in the south where ladies with voices like sandpaper stared at you until you forgot the sweltering heat pressing against your skin.

He never expected to talk to a client and have him pull out a cow tongue and some nails and ask for nothing more than the prosecutor’s name.

There were a lot of things in New York that were different than he expected.

*

_New York City Courthouse_

Jared dropped a roast on the table in front of the judge.

“That’s a veal roast, your honor,” he said. “USDA approved and everything. Men hunt and kill animals for food every day. Philippe Moyez killed a goat. A goat, your honor.”

Jared walked back to his client. “He did it at home, and in a manner consistent with his religious beliefs. Now, the prosecutor may find that bizarre. A lot of us might. It’s certainly not one of the most popular religious beliefs.”

Jared wandered around the floor and continued. “It’s not as popular as, say, circumcision. Or wine and bread transforming into blood and flesh.”

The judge reared back a bit, clearly paying close attention. His client smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

“After all, some people handle poisonous snakes. Heck, some people walk on fire. Philippe Moyez killed a goat. And the constitution says he had the right to.”

Jared continued, but he knew he had the court right where he wanted them. There was no way he was going to lose.

The prosecutor started to cough.

Jared carried on.

The prosecutor tried to object, but could not stop coughing.

Jared called for a dismissal.

The prosecutor could barely get a word out for coughing.

Jared glanced at his client, who serenely stared back.

The case was dismissed.

**

Jared’s Bar application was approved and his workload expanded exponentially. His time with Jensen dwindled. Jensen never complained, but Jared could sense him slowly pulling away. He became determined to finish up the cases he had so he could spend some time with Jensen before the next round started.

Jensen wasn’t idle. Anything but. He had just finished a novel and was starting the nearly endless rounds of editing and revising. Once people found out he was an amazing golfer (What? Jared can brag if he wants to.), he was on the links at least twice a month.

He attended some of the parties and functions that Jared didn’t have time for so they wouldn’t be accused of not being “team players”. Apparently, there was already talk because they were given first choice of apartments that were normally reserved as partner perks. There was more goodwill than bad, though, and Jensen helped that in a big way.

He was smart, funny and gorgeous. People naturally gravitated to him when they were out like his innate authority and command drew them in. Jensen always dismissed it. ‘It’s clearly my ass,’ he’d say every time Jared brought it up.

His co-workers and their families were no different. Jensen jogged and went to the gym. He shopped. He was never alone. There was always someone more than willing to accompany him.

It was only because he was so busy that Jared didn’t notice that Jensen smiled less. He was in the office still when Jensen was on the golf course wondering if he was going crazy or if the man in front of him had really morphed into a demon for a moment as he’d glanced at Jensen over his arm after a swing. Just like the woman he’d gone jogging with the day before had when they’d passed a dense, shady copse of trees.

Jared was still working when Jensen woke up every night screaming. Jared didn’t know that Jensen’s dreams were filled with wendigos and vampires and sirens that twist your deepest desires into convoluted knots of need and want so they could take you for their own.

Jared didn’t know that every night in Jensen’s dreams Jared died the most horrible death Jensen’s brain could imagine. Jared didn’t know because Jared was still at work.

**

Jared was on the balcony of one of the few parties he had time to attend. Adrianne was with him. Jensen was inside battling demons and smiling like his face was going to crack if he stopped.

Morgan had cornered him, his voice deep and smooth and steeped in suggestion, even as he chattered on innocuously about Jensen and his novels and how he’d couldn’t wait for the next one to come out. Jensen’s head began to pound. He excused himself to get an aspirin and some water.

Morgan discreetly checked his phone and then headed to the balcony. “Jared. There you are. Adrianne, you look marvelous. Could you excuse us? Thank you, darling.”

“Is everything alright?”

“I need you to find Heath and Speight.” He handed Jared a key. “Take them up to my place.” Jared started to walk off but Morgan stopped him. “Do it quietly, okay?”

The three of them entered Morgan’s apartment. He was on the phone, gesturing wildly as he spoke to someone in hushed tones.

Morgan’s apartment was the whole tower of the same high rise building Jared and Jensen lived in. The room was huge and dark. The walls were deep colored blocks and concrete with metal supports and columns. The furniture was heavy and dark. The fireplace was enormous and black, a yawning expanse of darkness lit only by a giant fire.

The art was… Jared had never seen anything like it. There were smaller panels that looked like hellscapes. Their reds and blacks fit perfectly with the rest of the room. It was the other piece, though that Jared couldn’t stop looking at.

It covered most of one entire wall. It looked like… It looked like angel wings at first glance – great alabaster waves that swooped from the bottom and met at the center only to merge back to either side. Underneath, it looked like feathers, great rough things that Jared couldn’t place, but couldn’t tear his eyes off of.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to look at the rest of the apartment. There was a long table, a bar and a set of soft dark furniture on the other end. There were no doors that he could see, only this one large space.

“Is this all of it?” he asked quietly.

“This is it,” Speight said.

“No bedroom?”

“Nope.”

“Where does he sleep?”

“Who said he sleeps?” Heath laughed.

“Where does he fuck?” Jared asked.

“Everywhere,” Morgan said, coming over to the men.

“What’s up, Jeffrey?” Speight said.

“How many hours did we bill Mark Pellegrino last year?”

“16,242.”

“What the fuck did he do now?” Speight spat.

“He’s just been charged with murder.”

“Who did he murder?”

“No one, of course,” Morgan said, smiling. “They accused him of _allegedly_ murdering his wife, her stepson and a maid.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“I sent Samantha downtown to make bail arrangements.”

“Christ. They’re gonna crucify him! I’ll get Myzel.”

“I want Jared on it.”

“What? I hope you’re kidding.”

Morgan just smirked at Speight.

“Mark Pellegrino and a triple murder in Manhattan,” he said flatly, “and you want Jared? Hah! You’re crazy!”

“You know,” Morgan ambled over to Jared, “I know every Marquis defense attorney in this town. I’d take Jared, every time.”

“Jeffrey…” Richard paused for a moment. “You got a great eye for talent. Everyone knows that. You truly are the master. But this? I just don’t see it happening.”

“I want you on board with this, Ricky.”

“Look,” Jared said, “I’m really flattered, but maybe he’s right.”

“We’re going to get this case and win it. He’s already a client.”

“A _business_ client, Jeffrey.”

“Yes, but we know him better than anyone else, including himself. We’ve got the best damn trial lawyer in two states. It’s ours to lose.”

“That’s the problem, Jeffrey.” Speight shook his head. “Well, tell Pellegrino.”

“I want Jared to tell him.”

Speight and Morgan stared at each other for a tense moment, then Morgan’s phone rang.

“That’ll be Samantha,” he announced, holding the phone out to Jared. “So… you gonna fight for this or what?”

Jared looked at Speight, then took the phone out of Morgan’s hand. “Samantha? This is Jared. Yeah, I’m on it. So where are we at?”

**

“Are you kidding me? What is he, twelve? What’s wrong with you, Jeffrey?”

“Look Mark, he’s the best at what he does. I wouldn’t bring him here if he wasn’t.”

“Maybe he is, but this isn’t Small Town USA. This is Manhattan! They’ll eat him alive!”

“You trust me don’t you, Mark?”

“Sure. With my contracts and my money. This is my life! I have to think. Find someone who’s really good.”

“You don’t have much time,” Jared said, holding his phone out in front of Pellegrino. “Jury selection has already started.”

“What? I don’t go to court until...”

“It’s started in every house in the city. Maybe the state.” He scrolled through some of the headlines. “You said you came home and found them dead, but…” he lofted the phone again, pointing, “...you had blood on your hands and on your clothes.” He scrolled some more. “Your fingerprints were on one of the bodies...”

“How did you...”

“And there was another, a hand print, on the wall.”

“I didn’t kill them,” Pellegrino yelled. “I panicked, okay? I just… when I saw them, I didn’t mean to touch, I just… I panicked. That’s all. I panicked.”

“Shouldn’t you make sure people know that? Get out in front of it?” Jared held his phone up one more time, a bloody pic from the crime on his screen. “Don’t you want a fair trial?”

Pellegrino sighed, his voice tired and his body slumped. “They won’t let me see my step-daughter. She means more to me than anything in this world. I don’t want her to think...” His voice trailed off.

“Look, if you’re not happy with us, we’ll step aside. But right now, you have got to get your story out there. You can’t afford to wait.”

Pellegrino closed his eyes. “I’ve got some really hard phone calls to make. Just… Just do what you need to do.”

*

_The next day_

“Look, I know you’re upset, but I need you to go over this again. I need to know what happened every second since you left your office.”

“I went right home from the office. I went in, and there was the gun.”

“Why did you pick it up?”

“I don’t know. I just saw it and picked it up. I hadn’t found…” Pellegrino faltered. “I hadn’t found any of them yet. You don’t just assume when you see a gun that it had just been used to murder someone, you know?” His voice was thick with frustration.

“One hand print and one knee print where you picked up the gun,” Jared stood and started to kneel. “Both rights. I’m trying to picture how that works. Did your hand come underneath?”

Mark huffed and bolted up. “You wanna know how it went?” He jerked a handgun out of his pocket and waved it before he dropped it on the floor and knelt beside it. “This is how it went. This!”

Jared was furious. “Are you insane? You were charged with a triple homicide and you’re carrying a gun? Do you have any idea what would happen if you were caught with that?” Jared paced. “Give me that gun. Do you even have a permit for it?”

“Yes, it’s legal,” Pellegrino hissed. “I have had nine death threats since yesterday. I have got to protect myself.”

“That’s _our_ job!” Jared pointed at Pellegrino. “This is a deal breaker, Pellegrino. Give me the gun!”

Pellegrino snarled, but handed over the gun.

**

Jared’s mother decided to visit in the midst of all the madness. Jensen laughed at him, but Jared got him back by letting him know he’d be in court that morning and Jensen would have to go pick her up from the airport. As predicted, Jensen stopped laughing.

Jared got off work just in time to treat them to a lovely dinner out, and his mother was actually in a good mood and didn’t complain about the wicked city but a couple times. She was polite to Jensen and didn’t make even one reference to a bible verse. Jared was surprised, but pleased.

They were headed for the elevator when they saw Jeffrey, Adrianne and a muscular, handsome man that reminded him a lot of Jensen. Jared could barely keep his eyes off Adrianne. He could feel his mother stiffen at his side when Jeffrey approached.

“Why, Jared. Introduce us to your lovely mother, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

Sam answered abruptly and walked toward the elevators the moment she could. Jeffrey and entourage followed along. Jared watched the sway of Adrianne’s hips as they walked. A sharp poke to his side brought his eyes up, and Jensen arched a brow at him. Jared smiled sheepishly. Jensen rolled his eyes and discreetly tripped Jared.

Jared laughed, but inside, he was beginning to feel guilty. Jensen was a very possessive man, there was no doubt about that. He wasn’t overly concerned when Jared found other people attractive and Jared wasn’t either. But when people overstepped or tried to insert themselves into Jared’s life in ways Jensen wasn’t happy about, he wasn’t subtle about letting them know to back off.

Adrianne was different though. Not only was Jared fascinated to watch her work and the way she could handle a client, but Jared had started fantasizing about her. It’s not like he’d_ never_ done that with someone before, but when he masturbated, he’d start out thinking about Jensen and his thick cock fucking him, then it would suddenly change to Jared pounding into Adrianne. It made him feel guilty and he didn’t like it.

Glancing at her again, Jared was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop.

The elevator ride was awkward. His mother refused to answer anything Morgan asked her and Adrianne was not so discreetly sliding her fingers all over the other man in the elevator. When the elevator pinged for their floor, Jared’s mother left without so much as a good-bye. Jensen at least shook hands and gave cheek kisses as he went, unlocking the door and leaving it open for Jared.

“So, how’s the Pellegrino case going?” Jeffrey said just as Jared stepped into the hall.

“There are a few things we should probably go over,” he said, remembering the gun.

“Want to come up and tell me now?”

Something in Morgan’s voice caught Jared’s attention. Adrianne slid a hand over the man’s crotch and was massaging and squeezing. Jared could feel his cock thicken up.

“We can do it tomorrow,” he said.

“You sure?” Morgan said, lifting an eyebrow. Adrianne slid down the wall until she was kneeling.

“Yeah,” Jared said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Inside, he slammed the door and leaned against it, rubbing his hand over his face and down his hair. _What the fuck_.

**

The next morning, Jared was eating breakfast and idly scrolling through the news when he was blindsided. TMZ had found a friend that had lunch with Pellegrino’s wife the day she died. She said her friend told her tearfully that Mark was cheating and that she was going to leave him. Not only that, but the Pellegrinos had an airtight prenup – one that could only be broken if Pellegrino cheated on his wife.

Jared cursed and viciously threw his plate into the sink. It caused enough racket that his mother smacked him in the chest and Jensen stumbled out of the bedroom, blurry and staggering to see if he was alright.

“Sorry, Mama. Sorry baby. Go back to bed, Jack.”

“What’s going on?”

“I just found out my client lied to me, that’s what.”

Jensen pulled a sympathetic grimace and leaned up to kiss Jared. “Go get ‘em tiger. You set him straight.”

Jared pulled him back for one more kiss, hugged his mother and ran out the door.

*

“I don’t give a damn, Pellegrino. You lied to me. Tell me the truth now, or we walk.” Jared leaned forward. “And I mean everything. One more lie and we’re gone.”

“It was my assistant. Alright? I was fucking my goddamn assistant when my wife and stepson was being murdered. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Anything else?” Jared bit out through his teeth.

“No.”

Jared got in Pellegrino’s face. “There better not be.”

_New York City Courthouse_

Jared straightened his suit jacket and stepped forward. “Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I know you’ve had a long morning listening to the prosecutor. I know you’re hungry. I won’t take much of your time.”

“I don’t like Mark Pellegrino.” Gasps filled the courtroom. “I don’t think he’s a nice person. I don’t expect you to like him either. He’s been a terrible husband to all of his wives and while he seems to love his stepchildren, he’s been nothing but a destructive force in their lives since they came to live with him. He’s cheated the city and been fined millions of dollars in penalties and fines over the years.”

Pellegrino glared at Jared.

“I don’t like him,” Jared repeated. “By the time this trial is done, I’m going to tell you even worse things about him. But you’re not here to decide whether you like him or not. This is a murder trial. The most important part of this entire proceeding is that Mark Pellegrino was somewhere else when this horrible crime was taking place.”

Jared paused. “And we can prove it.”

“The state is going all out on this case. They’re throwing everything but the kitchen sink at this case. They want you to think Mark Pellegrino is a terrible human being who murdered three people in cold blood. They want you to find him guilty of a crime he did not commit.”

Jared looked over the jury. “I only want one thing from you. I want you to ask yourself one question. Is not liking this man reason enough to convict him of murder, no matter what the proof says?” Jared paused. “Enjoy your lunch. We’ll talk again.”

_That evening_

“Padalecki!”

“Hey, Richard. What are you doing here? Need some groceries, too?”

“I was just coming to say congratulations.”

“Oh, no, no. It’s far from over. Anything could happen still. You know how cases ar…”

“I’m not talking about the case.”

“Oh. What are you talking about?”

“How the fuck did your name get on the firm’s charter? It looks like it’s been there for years!”

“What?”

“Looks like you’re a partner now. When did that happen?”

“What are you…”

“You know, I’m still Managing Director of this firm. You want my job, then you don’t go behind my back, you understand? Take me head on. You got it?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you? I don’t know what you and your _mentor_ have going on, but I don’t care. This job is mine and I won’t let it go without a fight.” He poked Jared in the chest as he spoke. “And you can tell Morgan I said that.”

Jared was shaken, but forced himself to act like he was fine in front of Jensen and his mother. Jensen was putting away the few things Jared got when he stopped abruptly. “Did you forget the cocoa?”

“Uhhhh…”

Jensen just rolled his eyes and grabbed his phone and his shoes. “I’m going to get some cocoa, asshole.”

“Can’t it wait,” Jared implored, batting his eyelashes at Jensen.

Jensen just rolled his eyes and left.

Jared told his mother he was going to make a call then went into his office. He called Morgan and told him about the strange things Speight had said.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s gotten in over his head again. He was probably drunk. Or high.” Morgan chuckled a bit. “I’ll find him and talk to him. I would bet he’ll be apologizing to you by tomorrow morning.”

Jared laughed, relieved. “I don’t need him to apologize, I just didn’t understand.”

“I’ll take care of him. Don’t you worry. See you in the morning.”

“Yeah. See you then.”

*

Jensen had just come out of the store when he heard someone scream. Jensen unlocked his phone and tucked the cocoa into his waistband so he had one hand free, then followed the sound of yelling. One of the men from Jared’s firm was writhing around on the ground and what looked like two homeless men were beating him with thick limbs and other weapons.

Jensen immediately dialed 911 and quickly told the operator what was happening. “Yes, I’ll stay on the line. No, I think I’m out of sight. I’ll be careful.”

As Jensen glanced up, he could see one of the men clearly. He looked like one of the demons from his nightmares. He couldn’t stop the loud gasp that followed. The creature looked up at him and smiled.

“They saw me!” Jensen whispered “How much longer?”

“Is there a crowd anywhere nearby? Go there if there is.”

“Yes, at the store. I’m going.”

Jensen didn’t look behind him and Speight had stopped screaming. It was another fifteen minutes before the police showed up. Speight was dead and no one else was around. Jensen gave a statement and one of the policemen walked him to his building.

Jared was shocked and worried when Jensen told him what had happened – minus the demonic faces. Jared’s mother was completely silent.

Jensen didn’t sleep at all that night.

**

“They lied to me, Jensen,” Jared had been practicing with Pellegrino’s assistant – his alibi – when she’d been unable to answer a critical question.

“Are you sure?”

“She’s been fucking him for months and she didn’t even know if he was circumcised or not.”

“Wow, really?”

“She had to think about it! He murdered them! What am I going to do, Jensen?”

“Baby, you knew this could happen.”

“Not with murder!”

“It’s your job, Jared. You can’t back out now without getting disbarred. You can lose on purpose and he’ll go to jail. Or,” Jensen breathed out, “you can do your job anyway. I can’t tell you which one to choose, baby.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Jared repeated.

“No matter what you choose, I’ll be right here when it’s over.”

“I love you, Jack.”

“I love you too, Jared.”

_The Next Day_

Jared ran into the apartment, screaming Jensen’s name as he ran.

“Baby? Where are you? Jensen! Where is he?”

When he got into the living room, he found Jensen, surrounded by Morgan and EMTs. Jensen was covered with a blanket, but appeared to be naked underneath the cover. Jared grabbed him, running his hands over his skin and body.

“Jack? What’s going on? Are you okay?” There was no answer. “Jensen?”

Jensen’s face was blank and he didn’t react to anything Jared said or when Jared touched him.

“Jensen?” Jared’s voice broke and he gently shook his lover. “Jack?”

“Let them look Jensen over,” Morgan said gently. “I’ll call you later.”

The EMTs took Jensen to the hospital. He’d been raped and beaten. He had a broken arm, cracked ribs and severe tearing in his rectum. It was clear he had fought and hadn’t made it easy for his attacker. As large as Jensen was, his assailant must have either been huge, well trained in fighting, or have drugged Jensen to make it easier.

Jared cried. Night fell and the sun rose again and Jensen never spoke.

**

“Jensen, god Jensen please. You have to tell me what’s going on, baby.” Jared scrabbled at Jensen’s hand but he remained silent. Always silent. “What am I supposed to do, Jensen?” Jared was getting frustrated. He was angry. Hurt. Lost.

“It happens sometimes,” Morgan’s voice echoed from behind him.

Jared didn’t miss a shudder pass over Jensen’s shuttered face and through his body. He frowned by was distracted when Jeffrey continued.

“There’s no shame in needing help,” he finished.

“What do you mean?” Jared asked warily.

“Have there been signs that Jensen has struggled with things lately?”

Jared thought back to everything that had been going on since they moved. Jensen had seemed fine, but Jared had woken up a few times in the middle of the night or came home very late to find the bed empty. When he thought about it, Jensen seemed skinnier and looked tired and worn down. “I figured it was just the move,” he mused mostly to himself.

Morgan’s hand came down heavy on Jared’s shoulder. “He’ll be just fine Jared. Let me help you get him the help he needs. You’ll see. He’ll be back before you know it.”

“What do you mean be back?”

“There’s a really good hospital with excellent resources very close by.”

Jared recoiled on instinct. “I don’t want him to leave me.”

“I know you don’t, Jared, and I think everyone that’s ever met you knows how much you love him,” Morgan said wryly, “but Jensen needs your help right now.” He handed Jared a business card. “Help him, Jared. Show him exactly how much you really love him.” With one last look at a now restless Jensen, Morgan left.

“Oh, Jack,” Jared whispered. “Why won’t you tell me what happened to you?”

He didn’t sleep that night, or several nights afterwards. The card Morgan gave him became worn, the edges curled from constant handling.

Was Jared being selfish trying to keep Jack with him? Would Jensen ever be able to tell him what was going on? Jared had tried everything he could think of with no success. Didn’t he owe it to Jensen to do even more?

Jensen needed him. Now more than he ever had. Jared felt like he was shattering. His heart was breaking a little more every time he looked at Jensen’s pale, empty face.

Two days later, he dialed the number on the card.

*

When Jared got back from taking Jensen to the hospital, his mother was waiting for him.

“I’m so sorry, Jared.”

“It’s not your fault, mama. You couldn’t have known something like this would happen.”

“No, but I could have told you the truth from the start.”

“The truth? About what?”

“I was on a youth mission trip. We came here, to New York.”

“What?”

“We were here for a week. We ate at the same restaurant for every meal. There was…”

Jared was getting impatient. “What Mama, what?”

“Your father was a waiter at that restaurant.”

“My- My father?”

“I was sixteen. He talked to me in a way no one else ever did. Every meal. The night before I left, we…”

“Are you kidding me? I just got back from putting Jensen into a mental hospital for observation and treatment and you choose now to talk about you slutting around when you were sixteen?”

“I knew it as soon as I saw his face again.”

“Again? What are you talking about? Who?”

“Behold, I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves.”

That stopped Jared in his tracks. “What did you just say?”

“That’s what he told me right before I left.”

Jared’s blood began to boil.

“I couldn’t bear to tell you. You were so proud of yourself for getting all this,” she waved her hands around, “all on your own. I don’t even know how he found out about you.”

“Say it.” Jared bit out.

“Jared…”

“Say it!” Jared screamed.

“Morgan. Morgan is your father.”

Jared stood and headed for the door.

“Jared, no! Just leave it alone. Let’s just leave here! We’ll get Jensen, pack up and just go!”

“I have to go.”

“Honey, please. Don’t. It’s better if none of us ever see him again.”

“I have to do this.”

“Honey, please… I love you!”

There was no reply, but the click of the door.

**

All of New York City was empty. There were no cars. No people. Nothing but emptiness between him and Morgan.

“I have been watching you,” Morgan said from behind Jared. “Always watching.” His voice echoed and now sounded like it was in front of Jared. “But you’re wrong if you think I had anything to do with your cases. It doesn’t work like that.”

The large piece of art in front of Jared came alive, shifting and changing, vague forms turning into human figures.

“Did you attack Jensen?”

“I was in court the whole time with you, remember?”

Jared still had Pellegrino’s gun tucked into his jacket. He was going to return it after the trial, but had left as quickly as he could and had forgotten. He pulled it on Morgan.

“Hey, hey, hey! A gun, here?”

“Did you attack Jensen,” Jared repeated.

Morgan smiled. “He’s _really_ not a bottom is he?”

Jared started shooting. Morgan was untouched, though his clothes showed clear bullet holes.

“Who are you?”

“Who am I? The better question is, who are you?” Morgan walked toward Jared. “Never lost a case, right? You know things there’s no _way_ you should know. Why do you think that is?”

“Because you’re my father?”

“More or less. I can’t take all the credit.”

“Who are you?” Jared repeated.

“I have a lot of names.”

“Satan?”

“That’s one of them.”

“You set me up. This whole time, it was just one big test.”

“I didn’t set you up. I let you do what you wanted to do. Like Pellegrino. You knew he was guilty. You scented it on him from the get go, but you stuck it out, didn’t you? You put that lying bitch on the stand and you,” Morgan leaned forward, “you set him free. Even after you saw the pictures of the bodies he killed.” Morgan dropped his voice. “You set him free.”

“I was doing my job!”

“No matter what, you couldn’t stand to lose. Vanity has always been my favorite sin.” Morgan stepped closer to Jared. “I know it’s hard to think about right now, but look how far you’ve come! I couldn’t make it easy for you, you understand. Not you or your half-sister. It was too important.”

Adrianne walked into Jared’s sight.

“Half-sister?”

“Surprise,” she said.

“I’ve had a lot of children,” Morgan said, hugging Adrianne and kissing her. “Mistake after mistake. Then you came along. Both of you.”

“What do you want from me?” Jared asked.

“I just want you to be yourself.” Morgan paused for a moment. “Well, you without the guilt. Guilt does nothing but weigh you down. Let it go. Let it all go.”

“Hey,” Adrianne reached for Jared. “I understand what you’re going through. I’ve been there. Come here. Shh. Just let it go.”

“I… I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Who’s all that guilt for, anyway? Jensen? God?” Morgan pointed at Jared. “Let me tell you right now. Neither one of them is worth it.”

Jared snarled.

Morgan strode forward and the flames from the fireplace shone off his skin, showing some of his true nature. “I’m here. Here on the ground. In the trenches with the pathetic humans while God is up there laughing his ass off every time you try and fail to meet one of his stupid, arbitrary rules.”

“Anyone else want a drink?” Adrianne asked as she crossed to the bar.

“You must need me pretty bad,” Jared said. “What do you want?”

“Richard was right. I want you to take over the firm. You and your sister.”

“Is that all?”

“No. You are the key to a new future.”

“What?”

“She’s ovulating right now,” Morgan said in reply. “Your son would control everything.”

“My son?”

“He would set every bit of this free.”

“Are you talking about the anti-christ?”

Morgan laughed. “Whatever you want to call him, sure.”

“But I have to volunteer.”

“Ah, yes. Free will. It’s a bitch.” Morgan nodded. “I need a family and I need your help to get it. There’s a big fight coming up, and I need all the help I can get. What do you say?”

“What are you offering?”

“Anything and everything.” The figures in the art behind Morgan started to move, reaching toward Jared.

Adrianne walked to the long table, black candles in hand.

“Freedom is never having to say you’re sorry,” Morgan said. “_Anything_ you want,” he repeated.

Adrianne put her arms around Jared. “Everything you want,” she whispered.

Jared stepped away from her. “Why lawyers, though? Why not anything else?”

“The law puts us into everything. We’ve got fingers in every pie that exists. Just think about it. More and more crimes go unpunished. Acquittal after acquittal. They’ll pile up so high and God won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“In the bible you lose,” Jared said. “We’re destined to lose, _Dad_.” The emphasis on the last word was not lost to Morgan.

“Consider the source, son. What else would it say? But you and I? We’re going to write a new book. Chapter one, page one…”

“My god you talk too much,” Adrianne cut in. “Both of you.” She turned to Jared. “Just look at me, Jared. Look at me.” She slid out of her dress and posed. “Who do I look like, Jared?”

Her face flickered and then settled. She looked like a female version of Jensen. Same color hair, same full mouth and green eyes.

“I can stay like this if you want me to,” she offered.

Jared strode to her and kissed her. “No. No, be yourself. I’ve wanted you for a long time now.”

The figures on the wall twisted and reached for each other, each swirling in a different act of sex and love.

Jared pushed Adrianne over to the long table he now knew was an altar. She went easy, Morgan guiding her to lie down on a black cloth she’d arranged a few minutes before.

“It’s time you step up son,” he said, “and claim what is yours.”

“You’re right,” Jared said, standing. “It is time. Free will, you know?” He laughed and Morgan laughed with him.

Before either could stop him, he grabbed his gun and held it to his head.

Horror flickered over Morgan’s face. “No!” he roared.

The world was flames and heat and screaming and the distant flap of wings.

**

Jared felt like he’d forgotten something important. Like he’d missed something huge. He couldn’t remember the trial he was on or why he was in the bathroom washing his face. A urinal flushed and pulled him out of his reverie and he dried his face and headed back to the courtroom.

It all came back to him when he saw who was there. _The child molester. Right._ Scanning the courtroom, he spotted Jensen reading a book in the back. Suddenly, Jared missed him so much he couldn’t stand it.

He went right to Jensen and kissed him in front of everyone.

“You’re at work, in case you’ve forgotten. Can you not attack me with your lips right now?”

Jared slapped at Jensen’s book. “No one reads real books anymore, Jack.”

“And yet here I am, reading a real book. Go away and let me finish, would you?”

Jared smiled and kissed him again. “Love you.”

Jensen just winked.

“All rise!”

Time to work.

**

“You know I’m going to be disbarred for this.”

“So you’ve said. Are you just being dramatic or would they really do that?”

“I didn’t do my job, Jensen.”

“He was a child molester.”

“Yeah. But I took the case, so I should have seen it through no matter what. There’s very few valid reasons to abandon a client that late in the game, you know?”

“Yeah, well, him raping children should be a pretty damn valid reason.”

“It doesn’t work that way. Everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Everyone.”

“Whatever, They were lucky you gave them this much of your time.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“I mean, you are going to be at home a lot more now. I might be having some remorse.”

“Hardy har har.”

“Baby, you said it was the right thing to do, didn’t you?”

“I thought it was.”

Jensen reached for him. “Then it doesn’t bother me.”

“What am I going to do now?”

“I think the Ball Pit is hiring.”

“You want me to work at some kids place?”

“Oh, darling. Of course not. The Ball Pit is that all male strip club off the highway.”

“What? I’m not going to strip for a living!”

“You strip for me and I don’t even pay you.”

“That’s different, you fuck me when I do. It’s just a different form of currency.” Jared perked up for a moment. “And how do you know about the Ball Pit anyway?”

Jensen narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to ignore you relating fucking to currency, and we’ll just pretend this convo never happened. How’s that?”

Jared just shrugged and rooted deeper into Jensen’s side. His phone was chiming every few minutes.

“You want to turn that off?” Jensen asked.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just reporters and people at the firm checking to see if I need to be committed. I think Ash is just waiting to see if he gets my office. He’s always wanted my view.”

“It better just be your view he wanted,” Jensen muttered. “Give me your phone. I’ll clear them all out for you.”

“Thank you, Jack.”

Jensen leaned down and kissed him, then started scrolling through Jared’s phone.

“Rob Benedict has emailed, texted a million times and left two voicemails.”

“He’s a tenacious one, that’s for sure.”

“He’s like a little yappy dog. Let’s see what he says.” Jensen read for a moment, then listened to his voicemails, Rob’s voice coming tinny through the speakers.

“He thinks you’re the second coming, apparently.”

“Me?” Jared asked.

“It’s not too often a ‘lawyer has an attack of conscious’,” Jensen said, mimicking Rob. “He said he can put you on every front page everywhere.”

“No one cares about some failed lawyer.”

“No, but they do care about a star, Jared and you, apparently, are a star.” Jensen replays Rob’s other message and Jared can hear his excited voice screaming about Jared being a star and demanding an exclusive interview.

Jared snorted. “A star, huh?”

“You know you’ve always been a star to me, baby.”

“Ugh, shut up, Jack. You’re not funny.”

“Bitch, I’m hilarious.” There was a moment of silence. “Well?”

Jared sighed. “Text him back and tell him to call me in the morning.”

Jensen muttered something that sounded like _I knew it_ under his breath and sent the text. “Come on, Mr. Star. I want to fuck you. It feels like I haven’t gotten up in that in weeks.”

“_Gotten up in that_? Are you serious right now?”

Jensen just laughed and hauled Jared to his feet.

**

In an office a thousand miles away, Jeffrey Dean Morgan checked his latest text and smiled.

“Ah, vanity. It really is my favorite sin.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven’t seen the movie, Rob Benedict (Larry in the movie) is a lawyer that has shown up in all the law scenes set in Florida. He is actually Morgan (Milton/Satan) in disguise.


End file.
